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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25586992">Murdering Beauty and Passions</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatNip_618/pseuds/CatNip_618'>CatNip_618</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Rise of the Guardians (2012)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Child Death, Dark Jack Frost, Drowning, Gen, Ghosts, Loneliness, Paranormal, Past Character Death, Spirits, Spooky, Summoning, Supernatural Elements, Winter Season</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 04:34:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,062</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25586992</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatNip_618/pseuds/CatNip_618</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Six teenagers summon the spirit of a nameless boy who drowned in a pond three hundred years ago.</p><p>But it’s much more sinister than it looks.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>71</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Murdering Beauty and Passions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>There’s no Guardians in this fic. Just a good, spooky haunting.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Twins Linda, Owen and their friends, Tami, Luke, Maria and Saber were under a tent in the woods, all crowding around a battery-used lantern. </p><p>It was late in the night and the stars were out and the moon was full. The season was right on the edge of the beginning winter, so the trees surrounding them were mostly bare and the ground was littered with dead leaves. They were near a pond that was already  frozen and they weren’t planning on swimming in anytime soon. It had started snowing in September, but it wasn’t cold enough for it to stick. But the temperature was slowly dropping. </p><p>The six teens were under Saber’s tent that he had borrowed from his parents garage and they’d planned a very small party. None of them dared mention the word ‘sleepover’. They were all fifteen and over. The oldest, Linda and Owen, were nineteen. </p><p>They were all eating junk food, avoiding the fact that most would just snort cocaine and inject themselves with heroin. But the six weren’t like the peer-pressured ones. Sometimes they still acted like kids, but in the face of society, they had masks on. They were careful in what they said and confided in each other about their insecurities. They all were very tight-knit and knew each other very well. </p><p>“Who wants to share ghost stories?” Tami asked, chuckling sinisterly. She held a flashlight under her face to give her features an eerie shadow.</p><p>Saber raised his hands eagerly. “Ooh, I know! I’ve got one!” </p><p>Tami handed the flashlight to Saber and he brought it under his own face, casting shadows. He reached out and unzipped the tent, moving it away so that they could get a nice view of the frozen pond. “You see that pond over there?” Saber asked mysteriously. </p><p>The five nodded. </p><p>Saber smiled. “Long ago, when the town of Burgess was just founded in the early 1700s, a boy drowned in that pond. He was on thin ice, trying to save his sister by taking her place.” </p><p>He pauses for emphasis.</p><p>“And?” Maria urges impatiently.</p><p>”And every winter, if someone stays the night on the day he died, you’ll see him playing Hopscotch, or if he’s in a more sad mood, you’ll hear him wailing for his sister.” </p><p>Maria leaned forward in interest. “Where’d this story come from?” </p><p>Saber smiled secretly. “Oh it’s a tale I was told as a child. Every Burgess-born resident has heard of it. But you’re Burgess-born and you haven’t heard of the tale, then you live under a rock.” </p><p>Maria frowned. “I moved here when I was little. I haven’t heard it.” </p><p>Saber suddenly perked up. “Oh I forgot! There’s another part of the story I haven’t told you!” </p><p>Tami leaned forward like Maria had. “What is it?”</p><p>Saber smiled all teeth. “You can <em>summon him.</em>” </p><p>Maria gasped, turned and grabbed the lantern. “We could do that!” </p><p>Tami backed away, shaking her head. “Nope!” She protested. “Not happening!”</p><p>Luke, who’d been quiet the whole time, said in a soft voice, “We can try.” Owen, who’d also been quiet, agreed.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Eventually the group managed to convince a reluctant Tami to leave the solitude of the tent and sit in a group in front of the pond. </p><p>“I really don’t like this.” Tami growled. Saber chuckled in response.</p><p>They settled in a frost-dusted leaves and Saber held the lantern and Maria had the flashlight.</p><p>“What’s his name?” She asked curiously. </p><p>Saber shrugged. “Nobody knows.” </p><p>Tami tolled her eyes. “That’s helpful.” </p><p>Saber scooter closer to the pond so his booted feet could touch the ice. He held the lantern over the ice, along with his bare hand.</p><p>”Boy of the pond, I call you.” Saber began. Tami thought this was absolutely stupid. It was as if she were in a cult! </p><p>But she was stoped by the soft crackling sound of fros forming. They watched as frost spread from Saber’s splayed hand in beautiful fern patterns. </p><p>Awed, Tami asked her friend if he was doing that. </p><p>“No,” Saber answered, “I don’t have powers. But this is my first time summoning him. I didn’t think it’d work.”</p><p>“Magic...” Luke whispered.</p><p>Saber moved his hand away from the spreading frost and his handprint remained. </p><p>Suddenly there was a peal of laughter that echoed among the trees and filtered swiftly through the air. Then a thunderous <em>CRACK! </em>boomed from within the frozen pond and the teens watched as the ice broke and the cold water splashed and lapped over it. </p><p>“Guys, I think we should leave...” Maria said, gripping her jacket. </p><p>They watched in awe and horror as an arm emerged from deep within the pond and gained purchase to hoist the rest of the body out of the water.</p><p>A boy with snow and bone white hair lifted himself from the pond. He wore a ragged brown cloak dusted with frost. Underneath was a khaki shirt with another brown-colored vest. His legs were covered with well-worn pants that were quite faded and had an old ribbon wrapped around each hem. He was barefoot and very pale. His fingers and toes were slightly blue with frostbite.</p><p>In his hand was a wooden, frost-covered Shepard’s staff that had a crook at the top like a crescent moon.</p><p>He raised his head and opened his eyes to reveal haunting icy blue eyes. He smiled, showing teeth that glinted in the moonlight. He opened his mouth and began to sing. </p><p>
  <em>“Come little children</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I’ll take thee away </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Into a land of enchantment...” </em>
</p><p>The teens’ eyes glazed over, all except Saber’s, who hadn’t really caught the lyrics despite the clearness of the boy’s voice. “Wait!” He cried, grabbing onto his friends’ coats as they neared the frozen pond. “Don’t listen to him!”</p><p>The boy, who’s feet didn’t touch the ground, paused in his song and turned to Saber. And in a soft voice he said, “I’ve meant a few who are resistant to my song.” He drew closer, showing too many teeth in his eerie smile. “But most are enthralled.” </p><p>“Well then can you stop it?” Saber asked.</p><p>The nameless boy’s smile widened. “Why would I? It’s been centuries since I’ve had fun. We’ll be <em>friends forever.</em>”</p><p>He brought a hand to Saber’s face and closed his eyes. “Now... listen: </p><p>
  <em>“Come little children </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The time’s come to play</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Here in my garden of shadows...” </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>‘Murdering Beauty’ means the enchantment of walking to one’s death. ‘Passions’ means the curiosity that pays a price. I made it up but it’s the philosophy of my story’s name.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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